Actually, Frankel said in an interview a few minutes later, she has decided not to run in the congressional race.

Frankel said she has concluded that raising money and campaigning for the Feb. 2 Democratic primary and April 6 general election would take too much time from her duties as mayor.

“I have to run a city. The transition would be impossible,” Frankel said in an interview while she was attending the Palm Beach County Democratic Party’s annual fund-raising dinner.

“If the election were in November I would have run, but I can’t make the transition,” Frankel said.

Frankel’s decision not to run gives a boost to Deutch, who has already piled up endorsements from Wexler and many other prominent Democrats. Many party insiders regarded Frankel as Deutch’s strongest potential competition.